August 19, 2016 at 2:11 p.m.
Snowhawks run away with 23-11 victory
Snowhawks run away with 23-11 victory
After racing out to an 8-0 lead after two, innings, the 'Hawks did not look back as they turned in a 23-11 win on a beautiful evening in Lake Tomahawk.
Returning to the Snowhawk bench after a brief stint with the D&R Bombers, Jesse Robinson again showed his athleticism both in the field and at the plate.
Robinson turned in a 4-for-5 performance with two homers and three runs scored while making some key defensive plays in left center.
After crossing three runs in the first, following a double from Jeff Smith and single from Craig Holmquist, the 'Hawks were able to shut down Smiley's with strong defensive play. A maxed out five-run second inning put the pressure on Smiley's early and the home team never let up.
"We hit the ball really well for the most part. We hit the ball hard and oftentimes (put) it in the right gaps," Smith said. "Jesse, of course, just hit the cover off the ball. He's a hard player to play defense on."
Smiley's got on the board in the top of the third inning as they scored three runs off of base hits from Jeff Brock, Steve Favorite and Mike Ruzik. Favorite finished the game with three hits and three runs scored.
The Snowhawks responded with a four run inning and extended their lead to 12-3.
Smiley's struggles at the plate and stout defense from the Snowhawks were the story the rest of the contest. Although Smiley's showed glimpses of comeback potential, including a five-run fifth inning, they would be no match for the more talented Snowhawk roster.
"We had a couple four- or five-pitch innings where we were able to get back to bat very quickly. That's always good for keeping the momentum," Smith said. "Hitting is so contagious and the longer you can keep it going the better chance you're going to have to come away with a win. If you don't get into a rhythm at the plate, it's hard to win a ball game."
The Snowhawks did not let up, scoring four runs in the sixth and five more in the eighth. The bats of the 'Hawks would prove to be too much as a 23-11 victory was secured after nine.
"You know, Smiley's had a pretty good team put together but it just seemed they couldn't get that spark at the plate," Smith said. "We took advantage of some errors as well."
Another Monday night, another beautiful evening and another large crowd - that seems to be the trend for the 2016 season of snowshoe baseball.
"What a great crowd tonight. We know they'll start getting a little smaller as the summer comes to an end, but we couldn't have asked for a better group in this game," Smith said. "Just a perfect night for playing."
Looking ahead, the Snowhawks will take on the Coaching All-Stars this Monday night before closing out the season on Aug. 29 against Lizzy-T's.
Smith said the final two games of the season will not necessarily come easy.
"The coaches always have a good lineup but sometimes they have lacked a little hitting," he said. "We will definitely need to play a good ball game just like we did against Smiley's."
Evan Verploegh may be reached via email at [email protected].
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